Odyssey to Mayall II: A Mass Effect Story
by theexaltedmarch
Summary: Scott Ryder and the new crew of the Tempest fight to end the war with the kett, and journey to the mysterious Mayall II cluster in the Andromeda galaxy. Set twelve years after the events of Mass Effect: Andromeda.
1. Prologue

It was the long kind of war – waged by weary travelers and alien invaders, both convinced that once all the shots had been fired that there would be something left that they could call theirs.

They weren't wrong.

That's what Jun Yang thought to himself as he peered out of the large viewport on his ship, the _Democracy._ Beyond the viewport was a stunning view of the Zheng He system, bluish-white light from its young star shining brilliantly through dust clouds and remnants of asteroidal debris. The Nexus glistened in the foreground.

The Nexus had completed construction in 2828, ten years after its arrival in Heleus, and just nine years after the Arks had arrived. By 2831, the Nexus had achieved its goal of becoming the hub of a multi-system expansion into the Andromeda galaxy.

But it was not an easy first decade for the Initiative. Their first two years in the Heleus cluster were mired with missteps, mutiny, death, and an alien aggressor that nearly wiped out the Andromeda Initiative. The human Pathfinder, Scott Ryder, and the crew of the scout ship, _Tempest_ , defeated the Archon, but that was hardly the end of the Initiative's conflict with the kett.

The war raged for more than a decade. But it was a peculiar sort of war. The conflict with the kett kept a strange ebb and flow. At times their numbers seemed hopelessly depleted, and the fighting seemed at an end. Then, just before the last of their forces could be defeated, there would be a surge in kett activity in another part of the cluster.

This kept on for twelve years. And only now, did it finally seem like it was coming to an end for good. Or so Yang hoped.

"Director Yang," said a cool, professional sounding female voice over the ship's intercom. "Ms. T'Vessa has just come aboard, and she'll be ready for you momentarily."

Yang was pulled out of his thoughts, and instinctively glanced over his shoulder.

"Thank you," said Yang. "Send her in whenever she's ready."

Yang was in his forties, bald, and had a stern jaw. He was predominantly Chinese, mixed with hints of European and Native American heritage. He was wearing a formal, but modern looking black and gray suit.

He stood stoic in front of the viewport, hands clasped behind his back.

Yang took over the position of Director for the Initiative in 2829, after Jarun Tann died of natural causes. His meteoric rise to power in Heleus took nearly everyone by surprise. Prior to his selection as Director, he had led the nation of Advent, spurring them to unprecedented growth on Eos, even surpassing the Initiative's official colonization efforts in Prodromos.

He rose to prominence behind enormous public support, and was selected to the position of Director with few detractors among the Initiative population, but not without making a few political enemies in the Nexus leadership.

Now the weight of the Initiative's future rested on him. The war with the kett was winding down, the colonies were beginning to thrive, and for the first time people were calling into question how much longer the Initiative – a private organization – should stay in power.

There were many who felt the Initiative had already stayed in control too long. Support was quickly growing among a movement calling for the Initiative to disband, or at least to relinquish executive type power to a cluster-wide, if not galaxy-wide, government.

It was a move Yang supported, in theory. Part of his popularity among the Initiative population in Heleus was garnered because he was vocal about the need for a central government. But his fervor for democracy as a political outsider met with the difficult pressures of being in a position of executive authority during a time of war. If he attempted to transition the Initiative out of power now, during war time, it could prove disastrous.

It had been three years since his appointment as Director. He faced criticism from both sides – those that felt he was attempting to sweep aside the Initiative in haste, and those that felt he was moving too slowly. He had a scant few political moves left.

Today he would be facing the latest round of questions from HNS reporter Keri T'Vessa, who had come aboard his private ship to discuss the future of the Initiative.

These sorts of long form, one-on-one interviews were rare, and therefore crucial to his efforts to maintain positive public opinion of the Initiative. A mistake could be costly, but a strong showing was invaluable. In something of a bold move, Yang insisted that the interview be aired live.

The doors to his cabin slid open behind him. Keri T'Vessa entered wordlessly.

At first, Yang didn't greet her. He didn't even turn around. His hands stayed clasped behind his back, and his gaze stayed fixed on Zheng He and the Nexus.

"Did you know that blue stars have a much shorter life span than red ones?" asked Yang.

He could hear her footsteps behind him as she approached the viewport. She walked across the mahogany wood floor in the center of the room, then stopped just short of the carpeted area on the viewing deck.

"Astronomy was never my strong suit in school," said Keri. "But I think I might have heard that before, yes."

Yang still didn't face her.

"Blue stars are much brighter also," he said. "They die faster, but they burn brighter."

"One might say it's fitting," said Keri.

"One might," said Yang.

There was a comfortable pause, and then Yang finally turned to face her. He gave a warm, easy smile and nodded courteously.

"Welcome, Ms. T'Vessa," said Yang. "And thank you for coming."

Keri was wearing a blue and white dress, long and fitted, formal and not unflattering to her figure. She smiled back at him, and returned the nod.

"Thank you for having me," she said. "This is an incredible vessel."

"Did they give you the tour?"

"Not yet, but I'd be happy to have a better look around."

"We'll see to it after our chat."

Yang extended his arm out to his side, gesturing towards the sitting area in the center of the cabin.

The cabin was immaculate. Fine hardwood floors, plush carpets, marble-top credenzas, and finely upholstered furniture. In the center of the cabin, a finely woven rug was laid out over the hardwood, and two chairs were set facing each other at an angle.

They both walked towards the chairs.

"And the Democracy… that's under, Colonial Affairs budget, is that right?" asked Keri.

"Are we on the record already, Ms. T'Vessa?" asked Yang.

"I'd like it to be."

"Then I'll happily say this vessel has been instrumental in the Nexus's outreach efforts with the colonies, spending 287 days in the last calendar year on missions to foster a greater cooperative culture in Heleus, and advocating for a purposeful move to democracy throughout the cluster."

"That might be a good topic to start with."

They both took a seat. Keri tapped a data pad and a camera drone that she had set by the door sprung to life. It zipped across the room spryly, and then bobbed up and down before settling in one spot to hover in front of them.

A light on the front of the drone switched on.

"Are you ready to begin?" asked Keri.

Yang leaned back into his chair and nodded. "Please."

Keri held up three fingers, then two, then one, in perfect cadence. A red light on the drone turned on.

"Hello and welcome to Reflections and Conversations," said Keri in a warm, natural tone. "I'm Keri T'Vessa and I'm honored today to be joined by the Director of the Andromeda Initiative, Jun Yang, to discuss the current state of the kett conflict, and the future of the Initiative."

"I'm glad we could do this," said Yang. "It's a pleasure to be with you."

"The pleasure is all mine," replied Keri. "Let's jump right into things… we're just a couple of months beyond the twelve year mark in the kett conflict, and reports are that kett troop density is at an all time low, in all systems – given that, how confident are you that we are _finally_ seeing an end to this war?"

"We're close," said Yang. "I know… that, this has been a hard twelve years. Many sacrifices have been, and our enemy has shown a resiliency that no one could have anticipated. We were never meant to be an army, not trained for war, but despite that, against all odds, we have prevailed."

"But have we prevailed?" Keri interjected. "Truly? How close are we?"

"We're in the process now of rooting out the last remaining kett bases in key systems," said Yang. "Of course I can't discuss the details, but as we speak there are Pathfinder teams in the course of some key operations."

"And what of the Pathfinder teams? You've expanded their reach beyond the original four teams. Are they adjusting well to playing the role of paramilitary squad, as well as explorers?"

Yang shook his head amicably. "They are not paramilitary."

"But aren't they?" Keri countered. "The sorts of operations–"

"The sorts of operations they are doing are not appropriately handled by anyone else in the Initiative. They are uniquely equipped to survey and respond to new territories, potentially compromised by hostile threats."

"That sounds like boilerplate rhetoric."

"That is is an accurate description of a nuanced mission, that is, in fact, unprecedented, not only in the history of the Initiative in Andromeda, but perhaps in the history of mankind. We have faced unique threats in Andromeda, and adapted unique solutions driven by multi-disciplinary personnel."

"With most of the Heleus systems charted, and – as you describe it, the Kett War winding down – do you believe the Pathfinders will always have a place in the Initiative?"

"I believe they are heroes, in the truest sense of the word. They have become our paragons, the ones we needed most, at the time we needed them most. Andromeda, not just the Initiative, will rely on the talents of Pathfinders for a long time into the future."

"It sounds like you're cognizant of a time when the Initiative may no longer be shaping the future of Andromeda. That brings me to our next topic, a very important one in the minds of many of our viewers. When will it be time for the Initiative to step aside, and allow the formation of a galactic government?"

"That is the inevitable future for Andromeda, as I have always said. The Initiative has been, and currently still is, the best steward of our future in Heleus, and throughout the galaxy. But a long term solution will be build around the democratic process, and representative government."

"We're all well aware of your position, Director Yang, you stated it quite clearly as President of Advent and as you campaigned for the Initiative Director position. But it's been three years since you've taken your post, and yet, here we are, still under the auspices of the Initiative."

"And still at war, might I–"

"But you just said the war was over."

"I said the war was ending."

There was a brief pause, not tense, but certainly telling. Yang pressed his gaze, almost daring Keri to break the silence.

"And what will the process look like?" asked Keri. "Once the war is over."

Yang interlocked his fingers in front of him, and looked down to pause pensively.

"I believe, the process must involve the colonies," he said. "Any process of establishing a government in Heleus will need the leaders who have already succeeded in the efforts of local government here."

"You've said that before, Director, but you've never given any specifics. Please, elaborate on what you mean. How precisely will the colonial leaders be involved?"

"These things do require time to evolve naturally, and they require careful discussion with those involved. Laying out details here would be imprudent–"

"I'm not asking for you to commit yourself, but in a general sense, what sort of proceedings do you foresee?"

"Well, in a general sense, I think that a convention to draft a constitution would be a proper foundation. And a great start to that process would be inviting the colonial leaders, or their duly appointed representatives, to participate on a rules committee for the convention, so they have say-so in the formal process that will be used to determine our constitutional framework."

"I'm sure many people in the colonies will be very glad to hear that."

Yang nodded slightly, and barely gave the hint of a smile. The exchange hadn't been unfavorable for him so far, but Keri T'Vessa was talented.

It was obvious the opening topic would center around the war, but she was wise to immediately follow it with questions about the formation of a government and the Initiative relinquishing authority. One of the primary pro-Initiative arguments was the need for stability during the war, even Yang had used it frequently. But following answers he'd just given about how well the war was going, this argument would either come off less convincing or two-faced.

He technically gave the correct answers, stressing the fact that the war was ending, but not yet over. And he left no room for doubt that Andromeda would have a democratically elected government. But she had still constructed the contrast she wanted.

The brief diversion onto the topic of the Pathfinders was unexpected. She seized on it only because he mentioned it; in some sense, it was smart of her, since the increasing militarization of the Pathfinder teams had become mildly controversial. But she cast herself into the role of antagonist when it came to the galaxy's most prominent heroes, not an easy position to argue from. It was tricky to maintain the necessary divisions between ambassador-explorers and special forces troops, but in reality that distance could be entirely rhetorical. He insisted on their heroism, and gave the technically accurate sterile descriptions of their contradictory roles – enough to stifle most dissension about their increasingly military focus.

On the matter of _how_ he would make good on his promise to 'include the colonies' in the formation of a central government, Keri was most skillful. Yang hadn't meant to reveal any particular plans, and while he only spoke in vague terms to what was already assumed anyway, it would give the colonies added leverage in negotiating details, since his public commitment to having them on the convention rules committee would mean he couldn't back off from that offer. It would, however, gain him even more public popularity, as it showed him as being open to local government involvement. This would place pressure on the colonial leaders to work with him, or he could cast them as the ones being difficult, and potentially threaten their re-election chances.

Yang admired Keri's tenacity, and her sharp line of questioning. She was no push over. And that's precisely what he needed. No matter how hard she pushed him, he would never do worse than batting .500, and that would also add to his credibility. He would have taken on a live, long form interview, without receiving any topics or questions in advance, opposite a seasoned and respected investigative journalist. It would only further serve his reputation of being honest and transparent. No matter what, Keri would serve his purposes just by doing the interview.

–

It was an hour and fifteen minutes later before they reached their final topic for the evening. Yang still had an easy, subtle smile on his lips, hands clasped together comfortably in front of him.

Keri showed only the slightest signs of fatigue, but the extended bout of rhetorical tactics hadn't been easy.

"So, Director Yang, let me close on a very important topic," she said. "The majority of Heleus systems have been charted. Although there is still much exploring to do on many planets, some have begun to ask, 'what's next?' In the Milky Way, society expanded throughout the galaxy. And yet, in more than a decade in Andromeda, we're confined to only one cluster."

Yang knew this topic would come up. It was a savvy move on her part to save it for last.

He nodded his appreciation for her question. "Exploration is why we came here."

He purposefully kept his reply brief, letting silence build to punctuate his next remarks. Keri eyed him carefully, being sure to keep quiet so he would keep talking. But Yang always intended to keep talking, this was a point he had had well rehearsed in his mind.

"There is something, within the human spirit, that yearns for exploration," he said, carefully, deliberately. "There's something deep within us that needs to make meaning from chaos, shine light into darkness, venture past what is known, and reveal truth behind mysteries. It is our destiny. I assure you, I assure all the people of Andromeda, that the Pathfinders will lead us beyond the Heleus cluster. Today, we have many challenges, here, in Heleus. We can say with pride, that this is our home. It has not been easy to earn the right to call this place home, and much work is still ahead of us. But the expansion of the Pathfinder team, our construction of new state-of-art scout ships and retrofitting of original Initiative scout ships, shows our strong commitment to exploration. We came here to explore Andromeda, all of it – and that's exactly what we're going to do."


	2. Chapter 1

The skies above Kadara were clear, and the air was cold. Even 20,000 feet above the ground, you could see groups of kett moving on the surface. From this high up they looked like rows of ants, marching in unison.

Inside the Tempest, Scott Ryder stood alone next to the cargo bay door. He was wearing a heavily customized set of black Pathfinder armor, including a helmet with a reflective opaque visor.

"Hold trajectory as long as possible to maintain the sharpest possible angle of descent," said Ryder. "Disengage stealth systems on my mark, then take us in."

"Aye, captain, you got it," came the response from the cockpit, a human male's voice projected through the Tempest PA system.

Ryder unlatched his rifle, a modified Mk.7 Raptor, from the magnets on the back of his armor. He checked his heat-sink magazine.

The Tempest rocketed towards its target, a medium sized kett base near Kadara's equator, one quadrant over from Kadara Port. The landscape looked like most of Kadara, mountainous, jagged, mostly browns and tans, with occasional smatterings of green mixed.

With the stealth systems engaged and the typical lack of kett air presence, no one would ever see them coming.

SAM chimed into Ryder's ear through his implant. "Scott, I would like to point out that based on my most recent calculations, the currently planned rate of descent is less than opti–"

"Quiet down, SAM," said Ryder. "We've got work to do."

The hydraulics of the bay door engaged with a loud clang, then a hiss. A second later, the sound of air rushing in was almost deafening.

SAM's cool, synthetic voice was almost drowned out even in Ryder's ear. "As you wish, Pathfinder. Good luck."

Ryder tugged on two cables hooked into his suit, and attached to the Tempest cargo bay floor. He tugged on one with his right hand, then the other with his left.

"Captain, we're nearly over the target," said the voice from the cockpit, this time piped in through Ryder's helmet.

"Take us in."

There was a loud, but quickly fading whining sound as the Tempest stealth systems disengaged, then the sudden feeling of weightlessness as the ship pitched downward. Ryder's heels came off the floor as everything underneath him shifted at a steep angle.

The Tempest's engines pulsated loudly, shifting power balance according to the new angle of descent – then every one of its engines fired in unison, and the scout ship launched downwards.

It only took seconds before the ground came up rushing towards the them. Even with only traditional propulsion, plus gravity, the Tempest covered most of the 20,000 feet between them and the ground in the blink of an eye.

Main thrusters in the rear switched off, the stabilizers re-angled the ship, then rear thrusters spooled up again.

Ryder was already off the floor, held inside the cargo bay only by the two tethers latched into the ground, Kadara's pale blue sky behind him beyond the bay doors. He unlatched the cables and instantly flew backwards out of the cargo bay.

The sound of the air rushing by him, and the thrusters from the ship was like a hurricane one instant, then fading and gone the next. Ryder tumbled, end over end into the day time sky.

He used the small thrusters in his suit's jetpack to stabilize himself just in time to see the Tempest fly off.

The Tempest rear thrusters kicked into full power and the ship rocketed upward. Kett troops on the ground scrambled, firing small arms in vain into the sky at the quickly escaping ship.

Ryder plummeted.

"Drop payload, Tempest," he said into his helmet's radio.

"Aye, captain, dropping payload."

Something else dropped from the cargo bay as the Tempest flew off, already nearly out of sight. Whatever it dropped, it was was too far to make out with the naked eye.

"Mind the gap, SAM," said Ryder.

And then he angled himself down, arms pinned at his side, speeding towards the ground. Then his jetpack fired.

SAM chimed in. "Readjusting for landing, in two – one –"

Ryder pulled his head up and his feet towards the ground, then spread his arms out. His jetpack fired full power, rapidly slowly his descent.

The remainder of the landing took place in just a few seconds. Ryder's jetpack cut off just as his boots touched the ground, and he dropped into a roll to lessen the final brunt of the landing. When he came up to his feet, his rifle was already trained upwards. Down sights: kett – lots of them.

By his count the total was over 50, not including however many were in the base. Ryder snapped off six quick shots, in two shot bursts, from nearly 90 yards out.

The kett were caught unaware – six of them dropped dead.

The rest were slow to react, having been completely focused on the escaping Tempest.

Ryder quickly holstered the rifle to his back and pulled another weapon off of his back – a larger looking rifle with a wide barrel, the M-37 Falcon. He fired three shots quick, then another three shots before holstering the Falcon to switch back to the Raptor.

Six mini grenades were lobbed high into the air. As the kett turned to face Ryder, the explosive projectiles landed. Mini plumes of dirt kicked up as shrapnel propelled in all directions. Kett were flung sideways and back by the high impact force, some were torn apart by shrapnel.

Most of the remaining kett, still panicked and confused, still didn't manage to spot Ryder. Only a few kept their cool long enough to see him and tried pointing the rest of the kett to their target.

"How's that payload coming, SAM?" asked Ryder.

"On time, Pathfinder."

When the kett finally started to fire on Ryder, their initial shots drowned out the faint whine that grew into a loud, descending whistle. They only finally heard it right before it hit.

The ND1 Nomad rover, slammed into the ground with barely a minimal thruster burn at the end to spare itself from becoming scrap parts. It landed on five or six kett, and bewildered the rest.

Ryder patiently reloaded his Raptor tactical rifle. "SAM, activate remote pilot."

"Yes, Pathfinder. Happy driving."

One quarter of Ryder's head's up display inside his helmet's visor was filled with a picture in picture view of the Nomad's front facing camera. He punched in a couple of commands into his omni-tool's holographic display.

The Nomad's wheels spun in the dirt for a half second, before it whipped around and towards its intended destination. The rear end slammed into a kett and sent it flying. Then two more kett got trampled under the Nomad's wheels as it rushed past the rest.

"Pathfinder," said SAM. "Gil has advised that removing kett bone fragments lodged into the Nomad's brush guard is becoming increasingly difficult."

Ryder retrained his rifle, and fired two more shots. "Tell him to leave it in, it adds character."

Ryder increased his even paced gait to a jog, then a sprint. The Nomad was speeding towards him in a straight line. Sporadic bursts of gun fire from the kett chased the Nomad.

Then Ryder leapt into the air, aided by a quick burst from his jetpack; he engaged the jetpack again to hover in mid air. He fired four shots from his weapon, killing four more kett just as the Nomad reached him.

The rover automatically engaged its emergency brake, locking in the wheels and forcing itself into a wide power slide, before letting the rear end whip around, completing a 180 degree turn.

Ryder's jetpack eased off its thrust, lowering him gently just as the Nomad's suicide doors slid open. He dropped comfortably into the driver's seat, tossed his rifle onto the passenger side, and took the controls. He sped off just as the doors shut.

"Ryder, I detect twelve targets remaining," said SAM.

"Good."

Ryder pushed the Nomad up to full speed. Kett opened fire, instantly draining most of the Nomad's shields. Ryder engaged the thrusters, volleying the Nomad forward like a battering ram – it leveled four kett instantly.

The rest were further back, and still firing at the Nomad.

"Ryder, shields are–"

Ryder hit the emergency brakes, triggering another power slide. But this time he was on his way out. The Nomad doors rose up and Ryder ejected – he fired his jetpack, and threw a grenade. He hung in the air for a half second, then the grenade went off, killing four more kett.

The remaining kett tried to shake off the shock, but only managed to regain their senses long enough to see Ryder plummeting towards them. His omni-tool sparked and crackled with blue electricity, and when he landed his slammed his fist down, sending tendrils of electricity outward, stunning the kett.

He came up, rifle drawn. One, two – three four, shots. Every shot was a headshot. The kett bodies hit the ground a half second apart from each other, just a little out of unison.

"Targets eliminated," said Ryder.

He holstered the rifle and walked back to the Nomad.

"Ryder, one of them did set off an alert for the base," said SAM.

"We planned for it," said Ryder, hopping back into the Nomad.

"Vetra and her team have already breached the base, per your instructions," SAM added.

"Let's not keep 'em waiting," said Ryder.

The Nomad sped off, quickly reaching top speed. It followed the trail the kett had been on, over a small hill and into the clearing where the kett base was located. It looked in disarray even from the outside.

None of the ground turrets or anti air cannons were online, clearly some careful saboteuring by Vetra's team. And there were no kett outside – not any living ones anyway. Plenty of kett corpses littered the grounds around the base, mostly concentrated around what would have been the rear of the base, against the rock face of a mountain.

Vetra's team had struck likely just as the base's security was being alerted to Ryder's presence, after they had just been alerted to the Tempest's presence over head. Vetra's team had been dropped off several clicks away in the mountain before the Tempest even made it's initial approach.

Ryder pulled up in the Nomad, and sprinted towards the base's front entrance. Just to be safe, he checked for snipers on the now vacant watchtowers either side of the doors. Nothing.

At the doors Ryder said, "SAM…"

"Hard lock down has been lifted from the inside," SAM responded.

And Ryder didn't even have to break stride, rifle still drawn. The doors slid open.

The first thing Ryder saw was three kett mowed down by heavy assault rifle fire. The distinct, sharp whine of a customized Cyclone assault rifle wound down as Ryder entered.

Vetra Nix was on the opposite side of the room from the now deceased kett, ducking back down behind cover as more kett charged into the room firing their weapons.

Ryder dropped behind the cover of a kett ground shield.

"Hey boss," said Vetra, coming in through the team channel playing in Ryder's helmet radio. "Glad you could join us."

"Sitrep," said Ryder.

"Don't worry, we saved you some," said Vetra.

The other members of Vetra's team returned fire on the kett, killing two.

"I've had enough of these bony bastards, Pathfinder," said Greer, one of Vetra's team. "The rest is all you."

Ryder rolled out of cover, came up firing, and hit two kett center mass. He rolled back into cover, then tossed a grenade across the room, right at the kett's feet. They scrambled as it exploded, leaving only two of them, and badly wounded.

Vetra and her team opened fire again, killing the remaining targets.

Ryder aimed quickly at each of the room's entrances. No more signs of kett.

"Clear!" shouted Greer.

"I want a sweep of every room in this place!" said Vetra. "And don't forget to pick up anything useful."

Ryder walked to the center of the bullet ridden room to meet Vetra.

"Did you run into any trouble?" asked Ryder.

"Less than we expected, unfortunately," said Vetra. "The Ascendant we thought would be here left, some time in the last day."

"Do we know where?"

"Not exactly, but we got something you need to see."

Vetra led Ryder to a room towards the back of the base, some sort of research room or lab. It was non-distinct as far as kett labs go, but in the center of the room on a back wall, in front of a standard kett console, Vetra stopped and paused before explaining why they were there.

"What is it?" asked Ryder.

"Intel," said Vetra. "But not the simple kind where we just use it to intercept supplies or hit another base, it's the kind with all the implications that the Pathfinders love to go on and on about."

Ryder's visor went from totally opaque to nearly transparent. He activated his omni-tool as he stepped to the console. For a few seconds he tapped commands, and his eyes flitted over the data shown on the console. After another moment, his gaze idled away from the screen as he considered what this meant.

"I'm copying this over to my suit's computer," said Ryder. "But I want another hard copy pulled from this console. Pack up everything else you need from here, and get the team on the Tempest, double time."

Vetra shook her head, her smile hidden by her helmet. "I knew you'd like it. Your father got the same damn look on his face whenever there was another mystery to unravel."

Ryder walked towards the room's exit. "We need to get back to Ditaeon. The Nexus needs to be briefed."


	3. Chapter 2

In twelve years since being founded, Ditaeon – the Initiative's first outpost, and city, on Kadara – had grown significantly. Nested in one of Kadara's most mountainous regions, just north of Kadara Port, it was a small but bustling city.

Despite the war with the kett, the people there were afforded relative safety. Or at least, spared constant and imminent threats of death, which can easily be mistaken for safety within any city, much less one recently founded in a new, and sometimes hostile, galaxy.

A handful of buildings in Ditaeon had now grown to several stories high, not nearly high enough to say they had a proper skyline – not like the ones from the cities back in the Milky Way – but it gave the city an architectural feel unique enough that you could say with certainty that it wasn't just an outpost anymore.

Ryder walked from the landing pad where the Tempest had docked. He approached the city with determination, but not without unease.

He had laid the ground work for the Initiative to start a settlement on Kadara, and was officially recognized as the city's founder. That sort of accolade provided little solace when the kett bombed Ditaeon the first time, or the second, or the fifth.

The kett war had lasted twelve years, and wasn't technically over. The Archon was killed in 2819, the year Ryder and the Hyperion arrived in Heleus. But the war had persisted even after the Archon's death. Countless battles had been fought across key worlds in Heleus, and multiple times it seemed the Initiative had pushed the kett to the brink of defeat, only to witness their enemy rebound again, and again.

Kett intel recovered by Ryder's Pathfinder team in 2819 included references to a kett "senate" and some indication of political disagreement about the length of stay in Heleus, and apparent lack of transparency. It wasn't until 2823, when the Initiative had finished off significant portions of the remaining kett in Heleus, that the kett senate had finally delivered some kind of reinforcement.

Strangely enough, the Initiative would later learn this wasn't even a true reinforcement. Following the Archon's defeat, the kett leadership – remaining well hidden elsewhere in another cluster in Andromeda – sent an exploratory expedition to surmise the situation in Heleus. This managed to keep the dwindling kett forces from being total eliminated, but it only served to prolong the war.

Ryder's ability to interface with the ancient Remnant technology native to Heleus, and subsequently command their ships, gave the Initiative a significant advantage in space battles against the kett. While the kett were formidable ground troops, they lacked the sophisticated ship technology of the Initiative, much less the strange alien tech of the highly advanced Remnant.

And so war could be cruel for the kett also. Though they lacked humanity, or even a semblance of mercy, it was never lost on Ryder that decimation must take some toll on any population. Sometimes the kett seemed like automatons to him, careless and fearless even right up to death, like ants marching undeterred by massive swathes of death right in front of them – comrades, friends, family, all dead but of little consequence to their determination.

But they weren't like insects, and he knew that. His encounters with the Archon and the the Cardinal had made it clear that the kett were moved by ideology, not merely instinct. They saw other species as genetic material to be assimilated, or as nuisances to be exterminated.

And they would hardly relinquish their hold on Heleus so easily.

Between 2827 and 2828, the first and only major troop surge from the kett arrived in Heleus. The number was thought to be in the range of 15,000-20,000 kett fighters. Intel would later reveal that this was a significant cost in man power expended by the kett, approved by a near unanimous vote in their senate. The significant bulk of Initiative losses were sustained in the fighting between this time and late in 2830.

Eventually joint efforts between the Initiative, the angara, and the krogan – along with significant use of the remaining Remnant fleet – secured major victories along several offensive fronts throughout Heleus. By 2831, kett presence had been reduced to a minimum, with only sporadic pockets of kett remaining.

The kett base they had just raided on Kadara, was one of the few the kett had remaining. And it had contained valuable intel.

Ryder continued to make his way on foot, Vetra at this side. They walked a brisk, punctual path straight through the market square in the center of town. It bustled with activity as the sun began to set. A mix of Milky Way races – but mostly humans and turians – mingled with angara, haggling and shopping, but many of them casually chatting or getting something to eat.

In all the major Initiative settlements, the angara had integrated easily, and been welcomed eagerly by the Initiative. They brought much needed good and materials for trade, and allowed for a healthy export of Initiative goods and services.

Ryder and Vetra attracted stares, that often bordered on gawking. Chatter and whispers always seemed to pick up when they walked by. Ryder was the most famous human – possibly the most famous individual of any kind – in Heleus and though he could manage to walk unaccosted, he didn't go anywhere without being noticed and drawing attention.

But he still liked to walk places. He could have easily had a transport take him from the landing pad to the Initiative Operations Center in Ditaeon, but that seemed to him like exactly what the most famous person in the galaxy would do, and so he didn't.

Some of the crowd might occasionally even wave to them, or shout out. Vetra was easy going about it, giving a slight wave back or a simple nod. She didn't seem to relish the attention, but neither was she made uneasy by it.

Ryder usually tried to pretend it wasn't happening. He kept his gaze straight ahead, focused entirely on what he needed to do.

He tried to think of himself as just someone doing his job, the same as anyone else in the Initiative. But that was a quaint fantasy now. He was the human Pathfinder, an unwitting icon from the age of twenty-two, thrust into the most crucial and most perilous situation that his species had faced in millenia, by his father who had died a moment after making the decision for him. And yet somehow he rose to the occasion.

Ryder saved Heleus, defeated the Archon, and found the other Pathfinders along the way. This ensured that no matter how many other active Pathfinders there were, Ryder would always be thought of as _the_ Pathfinder.

Little good the prestige did him during the war.

' _The war'._

The phrase rolled off the tongue now all over Heleus. It required no explanation, no context. It was the continual climate that they had all lived in now for more than a decade, it was what defined their existence in Heleus up until now.

A twelve year war that none of them knowingly signed up for.

Ryder was a marine in the human Systems Alliance before he joined the Initiative. He had served in the military like his father, Alec Ryder, and like his sister Sara. He made the decision then that he'd be ready to serve in a war if one came, but he thought that the reality of that was something he'd left in the Milky Way.

It shouldn't have surprised anyone at all that war is not unique to a particular galaxy. It didn't follow them to Andromeda, it was waiting for them when they got here.

For the angara it had been much longer – more than 50 years of war against the kett. Their once expansive society had been eroded down to hope, and tradition, and a few remaining strongholds, like the one on Aya.

Ryder had to remind himself of that, whenever the fatigue set in, whenever bitterness and anger came up for him like poison, usually in the moments when he could afford self pity and distraction the least. At least they were winning. At least humanity didn't see itself ousted from its home, like the angara. At least, once thrust into this conflict – however unwillingly – Ryder and the Initiative helped fight back the kett and restore the angara to their rightful place in Heleus.

And so for twelve years, Ryder fought the war, like so many, because it's all they could do. And they relied on him to be a leader, because he's all they had.

And so Ryder rose to the occasion, again. He rose to the occasion because enduring the suffering was less awful then quitting – and because he didn't die.

More than once now he'd done the impossible, but to him it just felt like survival. It felt like he was just barely making it and with a lot of help from the people around him, who never seemed to get as much credit as he did.

As he and Vetra arrived at the Operations Center, she keyed in their clearance code at the front gate. They made the short walk to an elevator and got in.

Ryder got a good view of the city as they rose. It was a testament to persistence and ingenuity, not just of the Milky Way races, but of the angara also. And although he hesitated to admit it, none of it would have been possible without his part in it all. He couldn't help but feel a hint of pride when he looked out at the growing city, the most newly built parts of it glistening slightly as the sun set.

"She looks more beautiful every time we see her," said Vetra.

Ryder didn't answer at first.

No matter how much adulation was thrust upon him, no matter how much the Nexus leadership had tried to make him the face of the Initiative, he knew he never could have done it without his crew – without people like Vetra.

"Yeah she does," said Ryder.

The elevator slowed to a stop and chimed softly. The doors slid open, then Ryder and Vetra got out.

The war had started to wind down. Kett forces were dwindling. An end was not only in sight, it seemed inevitable. Part of Ryder was excited, but he knew better than to let optimism distract him. He needed to focus now more than ever, to finally finish this.

All he wanted was for the Initiative to have a home in Andromeda, a proper home, one without constant war and strife. He wanted to realize the dream of his father, to explore a new galaxy free of constant battle.

This raid on the kett base was meant to eliminate one of the last remaining Ascendants in Heleus. And while that objective didn't pan out. They did find something else – intel. Not just the location of another base, or kett encryption data, but something much more promising.

Ryder and Vetra arrived at the central command room on the top floor of the Operations Center, greeted by an assistant and mayor of Ditaeon, Nesi Cartar.

Nesi Cartar was a relatively young asari, about 250 years old, with a slightly lighter color blue hue around the edges of her face, with green eyes and subtle off white facial markings on her cheekbones. She was previously the science officer for Ditaeon, before replacing the city's first mayor, Christmas Tate.

"Ryder, Vetra – glad you could join us," said Cartar.

"Mayor," said Vetra.

"Do you have the Nexus patched in?" asked Ryder.

There was a circular center console in the middle of the room, that came to life, blue holographic imagery taking shape projected over it.

"We've already got them online," said Cartar.

Ryder, Vetra and Mayor Cartar all took place around the console.

Three holographic images appeared over the console, the three directors of major Nexus operations. On the left, Tiran Kandros (Nexus Security), on the right Foster Addison (Colonial Affairs) and centered between them was the new Director of the Initiative, Jun Yang.

After leading the nation of Advent for a number of years, Yang successfully brokered the agreement to have Advent rejoin the Initiative. By 2827, the war with the kett had tasked Advent extensively; even though their independence was a major success story formally rejoining the Initiative made the most sense. And the agreement allowed Advent to retain certain unique freedoms concerning local law and trade.

When Tann died, Many thought Addison would assume Tann's position, but public pressure was mounting in favor of Yang because of his success in Advent.

Advent was a democracy. It wasn't without its own challenges, but it had seen unprecedented growth, more than any of the other settlements in Heleus, even out pacing Prodromos in terms of growth. And Yang was a vocal advocate of a growing movement calling for the Initiative, technically a private venture in Andromeda, to step down from an authoritative role to make way for a proper cluster-wide government. While the Nexus could have easily blocked Yang from power, it would have technically given Advent an even stronger populist position, and so instead they selected Yang as Director to overwhelming approval among the people.

"Ryder," said Director Yang. "We've received your initial report. You said you wanted to brief us on intel recovered from the kett base. What's this about?"

Ryder called up his omni-tool and input a couple of commands. "There was an encrypted communication received by a secure console within in the kett base," said Ryder.

A copy of the kett communication appeared above the console, and next to it a translation by SAM.

Ryder continued. "We believe it was meant for a kett lieutenant that had originally been in charge of this kett installation. It's a report from the kett home system explaining the intent of the kett leadership."

"This is the rumor you persist on about concerning this supposed kett 'senate'?" asked Addison.

"It is not merely a rumor," said SAM, chiming in through the room's speakers but also on the transmission to the Nexus. "Although there have only been a handful of instances referencing this group, the contextual evidence is clear – this is a reference to a governing or legislative body within the kett hierarchy, and their sentiment is unambiguous – they are considering indefinite withdrawal from Heleus."

Mayor Cartar's head immediately snapped around to look at Ryder for confirmation. Yang's eyes narrowed slightly. Tiran shifted his stance, and Addison scowled.

"How certain are you?" asked Yang.

"SAM, bring up the relevant section of the communication we intercepted," said Ryder.

SAM read the translated message. "The expenditure is too great. They are rooted now, an infestation. But also united. Our empire is timeless, with infinite reach, able to lash itself around many stars. We will not impale ourselves on this obstacle. They will wither with time, and our empire will see them fall in future generations."

The room was quiet for a long moment. Then Addison spoke.

"We don't know for certain that–" she started, but Yang held up a hand without looking at her and she faltered.

A second, a long second, of silence passed. This time Tiran tried to assess what they'd heard.

"They could always come back," said Tiran. "It seems to indicate that they'd–"

This time Yang did look at the speaker, which may have been all together much worse. He shot Tiran Kandros a piercing glance that seemed to evaporate Tiran's desire to speak.

Yang considered carefully.

"Director, if I may," said SAM. "The indication given is that they do intend to return, but not any time soon."

"Their troop numbers are dwindling," said Vetra. "And in more than ten years of fighting, according to our estimates they've sent one, maybe two, real redeployments to Heleus."

"The reinforcements they sent in 2828 cost us dearly, Ms. Nix," said Yang.

"And according to intel intercepted at the time, that was no small effort on their part," said Ryder. "That was a big commitment for them, and we handled it."

"It is possible, Director Yang," said Mayor Carter. "That the kett are at the end of their rope, or at least close to it. We're the incumbents now, maybe they're finally ready to admit that."

Yang considered a moment longer, then nodded slightly. "OK. Return to the Nexus. I'll call for a meeting of the settlement leaders, this needs to be discussed in a group setting, by the elected officials of Heleus. We'll need Ambassador Bradley there as well."

"There's something else, Director," said Ryder. "The kett transmission included a directive to move a portion of kett troops under this Ascendant's command, to prepare for travel outside the cluster, outside of Heleus."

This time even Yang looked puzzled. " _Outside_ Heleus? Where, exactly?"

Addison scoffed. "Nonsense. We know the kett have limited ship technology compared to our own–"

"And that they got here somehow," Vetra interjected. "From outside the cluster."

"Even if that's true," said Tiran. "What interest do they have beyond Heleus?"

"The answer to that is likely multi-faceted," said SAM. "But in this instance, the communication makes some reference to a possible alternative to the Heleus cluster in terms of finding candidates for exaltation."

"You mean to tell us the kett believe they've found another intelligent species, outside of Heleus?" asked Yang.

"Yes, I believe so," replied SAM.

Yang put his hand over his chin. A moment passed.

"This theory has been floated by you before, Pathfinder," said Addison. "And not with a convincing amount of proof either."

"Sara has been working on this while at Meridian," said Ryder. "She's found significant–"

Addison spoke up. "We're aware of your sister's theories."

"She's not the only one," added Ryder.

"Enough," said Yang, stern but calm. "The kett are clearly on the decline, that's our priority. We'll sure up our interests in this cluster before we make moves to expand."

"My mission as Pathfinder is to explore," said Ryder. "That was my father's mission, and now it's mine. Heleus has been mostly charted. There's a lot to learn, sure. But if the kett are moving away from Heleus, and to another cluster, we may need to investigate in order to keep ourselves safe here."

"You don't think we've succeeded in Heleus?" asked Yang.

"That's not what I said," replied Ryder.

The question caught Ryder off guard. There was a pause. Ryder tensed, realizing Yang expected him to elaborate further. But now wasn't the time for this debate, not in front of everyone else.

"We'll report to the Nexus as soon as we can," said Ryder.

Ryder spun and made for the door, promptly. He heard from behind him Nesi Cartar say, "Thank you, Director" and kept walking. Vetra trailed a step behind him.

They exited the room and the doors slid shut behind them.

"That went well," said Vetra wryly.

Ryder shot her a glance that was half amusement, half reproach. "You think?"

"What do you think the odds are?"

"About what? The war ending or there being another intelligent species in a nearby cluster?"

"The war is definitely ending, Scott. It's only a matter of time and it isn't looking good for the kett."

Ryder called the elevator they came in on. They both got inside and started back to the ground floor.

"But an alien species?" asked Vetra, her curiosity brimming. "First contact all over again? That's been the question all along, right? Why, in over a decade, did we not find anyone else in Heleus?"

"It's something Sara and I have discussed a number of times," said Ryder. "Tann never bought into it, and Yang has only been slightly better. It's never gotten traction despite bits of evidence, but this – this is solid. We're not dropping this so easily this time."

"What do you mean?"

"We're going to be making another stop, a little detour, before reporting back to the Nexus."

"We are? Where to exactly?"

The elevator doors slid open, and Ryder walked out. "Meridian."


End file.
